Two familiar faces will take the helm at the Brockport Hill Elementary School this year.

The Board of Education recently approved the appointment of Assistant Principal Brandon Broughton to serve as Acting Principal for the 2015-2016 school year, beginning August 10. Teacher Don Voorheis will be a “Teacher on Special Assignment” serving as Acting Assistant Principal, pending Board appointment on August 4.

Broughton succeeds Principal Sean Bruno who has accepted a position as superintendent of the Mexico Central School District.

Broughton has taught at the Hill School since 2001 and served as assistant principal since 2012. During his tenure he has been actively involved in several leadership roles at the Hill School and throughout the District, including serving as the teacher liaison to the PTSA, co-chair for STLE 3 Professional Development Committee, and coordinator for the New Teacher Induction and Mentor Program. He has coached baseball at the Modified A and Junior Varsity levels for 11 years and served as the Monroe County Modified Baseball Chairperson.

Broughton is an elementary certified teacher who holds a bachelor’s degree with dual certification in elementary and special education from SUNY Geneseo and a master’s degree from The College at Brockport. He received his certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration at The College at Brockport.

He resides in Brockport with his wife, Donna, and two children.

Voorheis is returning to the Hill School where he taught fourth and fifth grades for 18 years. He began his Brockport teaching career in 1985, as a fourth grade teacher at the Barclay Elementary School before moving to the Hill School in 1990. Most recently, Voorheis has been at Oliver Middle School as a reading teacher in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades and is currently Co-Principal of the Literacy Summer School. While at OMS, he has served as Student Council Co-Advisor, the American History Trip Coordinator for the annual eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. and the High School Ski Club Advisor. He is also a coach in the District, leading Girls Varsity Swimming since 1986 and Boys Modified Swimming for the past ten years.

Voorheis is an elementary certified teacher who holds a bachelor’s degree from The College at Brockport, certification in nursery school through sixth grade elementary education and a master’s degree from The College at Brockport. He received his certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration at The College at Brockport.

He lives in Brockport with his wife, Donna, and two children who attend SUNY Geneseo.

For the 21st year the Brockport Integrated Service and Community Organization (BISCO) will present it’s Summer Arts Festival on historic Main Street in Brockport this August.

The festival runs from Saturday, August 8 to Sunday, August 9.

Proceeds benefit community projects with a focus on local youth.

A notable change this year is that the Main Street lift bridge will be kept open during the festival (Main Street will be open to traffic from the canal to State/Erie Streets).

The festival will include over a hundred top quality arts, crafts and food vendors. The historic Morgan-Manning House will be the backdrop for music and performance areas with additional entertainment located next to the wine garden in Sagawa Park.

Over 600 cyclists from as far away as Estonia passed through Rochester’s canal towns on July 13 as part of the 17th annual 400-mile Cycle the Erie Canal tour sponsored by Parks & Trails New York (PTNY).

Although I’m not a cyclist I’ve long been intrigued by this particular tour, which claims to be appropriate for riders of all abilities and ages and prides itself on teaching participants about the people, places, and events that shaped the Erie Canal and its vital role in American history.

When the eight day tour stopped in Brockport Monday I decided to check it out. The village was bustling with cyclists and I sat down with three at Java Junction while they had lunch.

Pamela Patterson was a Rochester native from Tecumseh, Michighan, Michele Yasson was a holistic veterinarian from Kingston, New York and JoAnn Spencer was a retired US Army colonel. This was the first Cycle the Erie Canal tour for all three women and they were brimming with excitement and accolades for it.

“It’s very well run and great for beginers because you only do fifty flat miles a day,” said Yasson, who noted the ages of the cyclists ranged from an astounding two months to an equally astounding ninety-one years old.

The women loved the warm welcomes they were receiving from Rochester’s west side canal towns, such as Holley and Brockport.

“They were like an oasis,” said Spencer, about volunteers from Walk! Bike! Brockport who greeted them when they arrived in the village. “They had water, lemonade ice and friendly faces.”

Walk! Bike! Brockport also gave the cyclists old fashioned post cards with Erie Canal scenery from Brockport on the front for them to write messages to their loved ones back home (the group even mailed them for the cyclists).

“Everyone is texting, Facebooking, Tweeting, but the postcards are really what the ride is all about – the Erie Canal.” Yasson said.

The women enjoyed their time in Brockport and took off towards Spencerport where they would take another rest stop before hitting downtown Rochester and eventually bunking down for the night at Jefferson Road Elementary School in Pittsford.

Brockport’s historic Morgan-Manning House will celebrate Independence Day with it’s 34th annual “Old Fashioned Fourth of July” event on Saturday, July 4.

The celebration will begin at 10 a.m. with a flag raising ceremony and songs by the Brockport High School Choir. Immediately after, at about 10:30 a.m, will be the Children’s Parade.

The parade features families and kids of all ages in patriotic attire riding or pushing tricycles, bicycles, strollers, carriages, and pulling wagons also suitably decorated. Join the parade starting in front of Morgan-Manning House, moving onto Main Street, to Union Street, Park Avenue, and South Street, and ending at the carriage house. Kids in the parade will receive gift bags.

At 11 a.m., following the Children’s Parade, a concert of patriotic music by the The Brockport Community Concert Band will begin. The band, under the direction of Shawn Halquist, represents the entire community, including families, Brockport Central students and music staff, area music teachers, college students, and others.

At 12:15 p.m. The Brockport Big Band continues a long tradition at the July 4 celebration, bringing sounds of composers like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Stan Kenton from the 1940’s Big Band Jazz era.

Children’s Games take place from noon to 1 p.m. Kids will get to play old fashioned games such as ring toss, clothespin-in-a-jar, and others. There will be face painting and chalk art on the sidewalk.

The Cake Walk at 1:30 p.m. is a popular event, providing amusement and a free cake, if you win.

Food and Refreshments will be available from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., including hamburgers, veggie burgers, Italian sausage, and hot dogs. Ice cream novelties, cookies, and popcorn will be sold also.

Tours of the Morgan-Manning House will be available for free at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. The Morgan-Manning House was built in 1854. After a disastrous fire in 1964, it now stands fully restored and furnished much like it was in the 19th century.

Community musicians who would like to join the band may contact Shawn Halquist at shawn.halquist@bcs1.org. Rehearsals are July 1 and 2, from 7- 8:30 p.m. in the High School Band Room.

The entertainment and other aspects of the event are paid for from a Liberty Mutual “Restore the Fourth” grant won by the Village and The Western Monroe Historical Society four years ago.

The Western Monroe Historical Society sponsors the event offered free to the public. The WMHS offices are located in the Morgan-Manning House, 151 Main Street, Brockport. For more information, contact the office at 585-637-3645, or see the web site www.morganmanninghouse.org.

Caurie Putnam I'm proud to have called Brockport my home for the past 15 years. I love it because it has a small town feel, but the presence of SUNY Brockport adds a small city flavor. I moved to Brockport after graduating from the University of Rochester to cover the community as a reporter for Messenger Post Newspapers. I grew up in Connecticut and Washington County, NY but fell in love with Brockport and decided to raise my family here. I am a single mom to two busy little boys who take after their busy Mommy! I am also a freelance writer for The Democrat and Chronicle and several other publications in western New York. My Brockport activities include: The Brockport Moms Club, Brockport PTSA, JJ's Angels, The Brockport Blizzards, and Tri-County Youth Hockey. As the Brockport Blogger, my goal is to bring you positive, family centered, community news and photos. Brockport is the hidden gem of Monroe County and I love to shine it up. Please send ideas, press releases, and feedback to Caurie at caurie@urgrad.rochester.edu You can also follow me on Twitter at @CauriePutnam